Kint PHP Debugger
by Tonya Mork · Uncategorized
Also makes 3 other plugins · 2M+ installs across the portfolio →
Kint is a modern and powerful PHP debugging helper, which requires zero-setup and replaces var_dump(), print_r() and debug_backtrace().
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
D 49/100
Stale · Likely abandoned
Active installs
90+
≈98 estimated
Momentum
-1%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Under-ranked on “var dump”. wp.org puts you #18; on merit you place #8. The plugins above you are winning on install count, not on rating or upkeep.
49 health vs 58 average across 25,764 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →0.7%
of downloads still active
At least 90 of 13.8K lifetime downloads are still running, in line with its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,772 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Uncategorized plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
High removal-risk signals
63/100Maintenance and integrity signals that tend to precede a WordPress.org removal. Not an official status, a heads-up to act.
- Long abandoned. No update in 7+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 5.1.28, well behind 6.8.
Details
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Under-optimized
Most to gain: Update recency
Updated 2793 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 5.1.28; the current branch is 6.8
5.0★ over 12 reviews, smoothed to 4.27★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 2793 days ago — ship an update; wp.org decays a listing's search weight after ~180 days.
Get the full rank-higher report →Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
Not enough tracked days yet to call a direction. Momentum needs at least three keywords measured a week or more apart.
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| kint your tag | #4 | #4 | 0 |
| var dump your tag | #18 | #8 | 0 |
| debug your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| debugger your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| print r your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
2 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 3 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Under-ranked on “var dump”. wp.org puts you #18; on merit you place #8. The plugins above you are winning on install count, not on rating or upkeep.
- “debug”, “debugger” and “print r” aren't earning a slot. You list them, but you're not in the first 24 results for those searches. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so free the slot for a search you can win.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 163 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
Ranked about #16,800 to #17,400, alongside the other plugins at 90+ installs. Plugins with the same install count swap places between wp.org requests, so this is where most of them sit. Checked monthly, last on 1 Nov 2026.
Update activity
Downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites.
Not enough installs to measure. This needs at least 100 active sites; below that, a handful of downloads reads as tens of thousands.
Release cadence
No release in a yearHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
0
releases in the last 12 months
7.7y ago
latest release · v2.0.2 · 11 Mar 2019
10
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 80% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “90+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 3 months ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 100.
Install history since 14 Aug 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Adriano G. V. Esposito6.7y ago
Very fine
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Rita Best7.5y ago
The Best! I keep coming back again and again. Kint makes WordPress (PHP) development/debugging a breeze. Save yourself time & frustration install this plugin.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Mahd Ali7.6y ago
It is a very useful tool but some people prefer a video how to use to use a tool. Its awesome thanks
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Anonymous User10.1y ago
Thanks for this plugin. It makes debugging my arrays of arrays of arrays much simpler. 😉
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Pär Thernström10.4y ago
Really like to debug with Kint, and this plugin makes it much easier.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Rose10.4y ago
Love this plugin, saves hours of time in development.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ John Dorner10.6y ago
Saves a lot of time when writing plugins and themes. Thanks! Update 2/11/2021 – even though this plugin hasn’t had any updated in more than 2 years, it is still working just great. This topic was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by John Dorner.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Anonymous User 769815811.0y ago
Love this plugin. Displays more than var_dump does and is so much easier to read the output. Handy toggle to display more information is very helpful. Love that ddd() option to display and stop execution. Thank you!!!
Read on wp.org ↗
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
6 of 8 pass · checked 28 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Kint is a modern and powerful PHP debugging helper, which requires zero-setup and replaces var_dump(), prin..."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 5 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 5 of 5 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("use this"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ! Names what it works with Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ✓ Headings and lists 3 headings and 2 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,328 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text All 5 tags appear in the text.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-08-07 100+ → 90+ down after 39 days in tier
- 2026-06-29 90+ → 100+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-06-28 100+ → 90+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2026-06-27 90+ → 100+ up after 24 days in tier
- 2026-06-03 100+ → 90+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2026-06-01 90+ → 100+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-05-31 100+ → 90+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2026-05-29 90+ → 100+ up after 4 days in tier
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
Debug Toolkit 10+ installs · 4.5★ · 4 shared tags D -
PCo Kint 10+ installs · 4.0★ · 4 shared tags D - W wp-dBug 60+ installs · 4.1★ · 3 shared tags D
- H Hikari Krumo 10+ installs · 3.6★ · 3 shared tags
-
Debug This 2K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags C - D DP Debug Menu 20+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Kint PHP Debugger into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/kint-php-debugger" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Kint PHP Debugger — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Kint PHP Debugger: 90+ active installs, 5.0★ (12 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-02. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/kint-php-debugger
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